Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Vanderhorstia (Genus)

Gobie d'Ambanoro, Ambanoro goby, Ambonoro shrimpgoby, Ambanoro prawn-goby, Twin-spotted shrimp-goby, Twinspot shrimp goby, Twinspot shrimpgoby, Shima-orihaze, シマオリハゼ, 紋腹梵鰕虎, 紋腹梵鰕虎魚,

Synonymes
Cryptocentrus ambanoro (Fourmanoir, 1957)
Cryptocentrus fasciaventris (Smith, 1959)
Vanderhorstia ambonoro (Fourmanoir, 1957)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 13; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19; Longitudinal scale series 73-85; Greatest depth of body: 5.5-6.4 in SL. Body elongate, compressed. Head subcylindrical; Lower jaw slightly projecting anteriorly beyond upper jaw; Gill opening wide, extending anteriorly to well beyond a vertical line through posterior margin of preopercle. First dorsal fin near rectangular, without elongate spines; Pelvic fins united medially; Frenum present; Head without scales; Sensory canals and pores present on head; Longitudinal pattern of sensory papillae rows on cheek; A pair of sensory papillae just behind chin. Cycloid scales covering body; Caudal fin oblong, longer than head. Max. length: 8.0 cm TL. Depth range: 4 - 25 m.

Color
Ground color of head and body pale gray or pale beige, darkened dorsally; Many black spots on operculum and dorsal half of body. Male with blue stripes along margin of ventral fin.

Etymology
Vanderhorstia: in honnor of Professor C.J. van der Horst (1889-1951) of the Witwatersrand University (South Africa) for a donnation of fishes collection.
ambanoro: named for Ambanoro Bay, Nossi-Bé, Mozambique Channel, Madagascar, type locality.
Original description: Cryptocentrus ambanoro Fourmanoir, 1957 - Type locality: Ambanoro Bay, Nosy Be, Mozambique Channel, Madagascar, depth 6-10 meters.

Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Amirantes and Madagascar east to Marshall Islands and Samoa, north to Yaeyama Islands, south to New Caledonia.

Biology
Found in coastal bays and lagoons on sandy or muddy substrat. Lives with grey or brown Alpheus spp. Aquarium fish (rare).

Similar species
Vanderhorstia opercularis (Randall, 2007) - Reported from Red Sea: endemic Gulf of Aqaba.